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Antioch
Antioch is the city capital of the southern region and is the largest trading city of Bahlmorea. The city is the largest in the south, with over 400,000 inhabitants. It's so large because of its prime location on Redrock River, a very long fertile river that connects to the ocean and is used to transport items from regions all over the coastal regions of the continent, which makes it a hotspot for pirates and foreigners alike. Merchants from all over the world come to Antioch to sell and barter their goods. The native tongue here is different from up north. However, at least half the population here speaks Northern Tongue. The language here sounds similar to Arabic. The architecture of the city is similar to Islamic and Turkish architecture with great domes, both gold and stone, and intricate colorful patterns. Large ornate colorful wooden doors provide entryways for grand houses and apartments. Many buildings are made from clay and brick. Most houses belonging to the upper class have lush gardens filled with apricot and orange trees, wooden lattices entwined with vines and blooming flowers, and countless rooms filled with valuable antiques and beautiful rugs. In short, the rich love to show off their wealth in grandiose displays. The poorer districts, however, do what they can to make their homes and apartments just as beautiful in their own way. Either way, the buildings are very clustered together and the dusty streets are narrow. Streets here are not paved like they are in Sidon and instead are either made of sparse collections of worn flat stone or just padded down dirt. People use cows, camels, and mules to pull around carts and wagons, so it's not uncommon to see a wandering bull or camel in the streets. Sometimes, one may see a balaphant moving a cart or preforming tricks in the square. Their magnificent horns usually removed. History Antioch is one of the oldest cities in Bahlmorea and its history is still clearly alive in the buildings worn by time that are still hidden in alleyways and dead ends. The city's first beginnings started 6,500 years ago as a small, but thriving tribe nestled by the Red Rock River. Overtime, the tribe dominated the region and the powerful warlords who ruled it imprisoned and took over any neighboring villages until it became something akin to a tribal city. Once conquering became secondary to growth, the arts, religion, writing and the sort became a priority. As the city grew and expanded, it was not without its own share of a bloody history including overthrowing kings and violent massacres for power, plagues, and famines. The most recent terrible war that occurred was the Divine Royale, which has been over for many years now. Politics The Rajin "king" and his Raija "queen" of the city are in charge of overseeing and ruling the southern end even though, according to law, it's the king centered in Sidon that technically rules over all of Bahlmorea. The city has a distinct seperation between upper class and lower class. The middle class is terribly small consisting of mostly just small shop owners. A common saying in this city is that if you aren't a rich man then you are a poor man. The Rajin is selected from three large noble families who control certain sectors of the city: trade, political, and monetary/bank. He is selected on the basis of intelligence and personality and then he is required to choose his wife from one of the two other families. The Raija, while often more of a figurehead than an actual position of power, is given political power if the Rajin grants her the powers. It's unfortunately uncommon for the queen to be given real power. However, the current Rajin and Raija of Antioch, Rajin Mahaja and Raija Parnina, '''are said to be ruling Antioch equally, making them a power couple. While the Rajin and Raija hold the most power, there is a very small council of advisors made up mostly of relatives belonging to the related noble families. They help oversee spending, construction, merchant guilds, foreign relations, and so on. These close selected advisors are very close to the Rajin and Raija and therefore, schemes and plots against them are considered uncommon. Culture Antiochian culture revolves around both self indulgence and hard work. People who have a lot of wealth love to show it off and those who don't have a lot of wealth still show off proudly what they have. Family is also very important to them and usually, the more the better. Large families tend to stick together despite shortcomings even if their house is too small to comfortably support 6-9 people. Men are expected to work even in marriage and women stay at home, but it's not uncommon at all to see women working even in marriage to help pay for food, rent, and such although it makes them vulnerable to scorn. The southern region, Antioch especially, is known for its food, which is basically Indian food. Sophisticated use of spices and herbs adds flavor to already delicious dishes. Tandoori, tikka curry, naan, samosas, and lentils are just a few of the countless dishes that are served in Antioch that is nearly impossible to be recreated with the same flavor anywhere else. People here are also very comfortable with nudity, sexuality, and the like. Similar to Europeans. They don't care what gender you sleep with although it's frowned upon to continue homosexual acts if one is engaged in opposite sex marriage, but heterosexual acts are not. Antioch's famous bath houses are renowned throughout the entire continent for their extravagance and beauty. Tiled floors are patterned to tell ancient stories of the city's ancient history with vines growing down from above as the heat from the natural baths rises up in a thick steam. There are several throughout the city, separated for the poor and rich. One may have to pay a lot or persuade their way into a the more grand bathhouses, but it's worth it. Even so, they are surely a beautiful sight to see. Be careful about which one you enter, because while one may be for relaxation, there are plenty of bathhouses that have the purpose of "pleasuring" their patrons and those tend to be a bit more expensive. Districts Like Sidon, Antioch's neighborhoods are set up according to wealth disparities. The first district is the '''Brick District aka the poor district. It's named that due to the buildings made out of low quality clay and brick. It's by far the largest and most populated district that makes up the city (75%) and is located nearly all around the city, especially along the river. It's also a popular place of sketchy trade and bartering for most who can't afford the more pricey goods. Animals like chickens and cows often wander these crowded narrow streets and open sewage also runs down some streets as well. Guards patrol this district and most are merciless to anyone who gets in their way. They prey on anyone they feel like and ninety nine percent of the time get away with whatever they want. Crime is also a common everyday thing in these neighborhoods thanks to the rich hoarding all the money and forcing people to resort to crimes to get ahead. Not everyone here is dirt poor, many who live here make somewhat of a comfortable living, it's just that the houses and apartments in the upper class districts are too expensive for a middle class worker to afford so the majority of the population, even if they aren't necessarily poor, is forced to live here. Despite this, narrow streets and alleyways are often decorated with red, yellow, and orange tarps hanging over the heads of passerbys. It's also not uncommon to see bright red ornate wooden doors to some inns and homes, both for decoration and a way to keep the Red Faced God out. The smallest district is the Orange District, which is home to the upper class population (25%). Its name is due to the deep orange color many of the houses and courtyards have. The apartments are much more high quality and made from carved stone and a higher quality of clay. Nobles, rich merchants, politicians and the like are the type of crowd that live in this district. Lush courtyards and rooftop gardens are more common here than in the Brick District. Category:Locations Category:The South East